The Righteousness of Another

Romans 10 begins the conclusion or climax of the dissertation Paul began in Romans 1:16-17. The gospel reveals the righteousness of God...from faith to faith. And it does so in power. Now Romans 10 reaches the conclusion of Paul's argument. Verses 1-4 propose to explain why the Jew did not believe in Christ. There is a modern parallel with all who despise the gospel as the righteousness of God. We have been examining six reasons. Already reviewed the first two and now examine reasons number three and four.

As creatures of law, it is impossible for men to apprehend the principle of being justified through the obedience of another. Until a man's understanding is enlightened to behold the beauty of holiness and the beauty of Christ, he remains ignorant of how his personal responsibility can be preserved in the gospel of free grace...and he stumbles over that stumbling stone.

The sinner in his ignorance cannot understand the nature of faith or its place in salvation. Until a man is born again, the language of the gospel remains "an unknown tongue" to him. The unregenerate sinner regards faith in Christ as something altogether within his power as a human being. The sinner converts a system designed to exclude all human boasting into simply another means of boasting.
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